Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro vs Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer

Compare recorded specifications, size and practical differences.

+ Add a third phone

Key differences

Calculated from recorded specifications using minimum difference thresholds. These are differences, not an overall ranking. For three phones, numeric highlights compare the two extremes.

  • Weight

    Mi 8 Explorer: 28 g lighter

    Black Shark 2 Pro:
    205 g
    Mi 8 Explorer:
    177 g
  • Chipset

    Black Shark 2 Pro:
    Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855+ (7 nm)
    Mi 8 Explorer:
    Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 (10 nm)
  • Depth

    Mi 8 Explorer: 1.2 mm thinner

    Black Shark 2 Pro:
    8.8 mm
    Mi 8 Explorer:
    7.6 mm
  • Height

    Mi 8 Explorer: 8.7 mm shorter

    Black Shark 2 Pro:
    163.6 mm
    Mi 8 Explorer:
    154.9 mm
  • Release year

    Black Shark 2 Pro:
    2019
    Mi 8 Explorer:
    2018

Physical size

Relative size, not calibrated actual size. Front and side outlines share one scale and a bottom baseline. Generic outlines use recorded body dimensions, excluding camera bumps.

  1. 1. Black Shark 2 Pro

    Height:
    163.6 mm +8.7 mm versus Mi 8 Explorer
    Width:
    75 mm
    Depth:
    8.8 mm +1.2 mm versus Mi 8 Explorer
  2. 2. Mi 8 Explorer

    Height:
    154.9 mm
    Width:
    74.8 mm
    Depth:
    7.6 mm

Weight

Bars start at zero and share a scale within this chart.

  1. 1. Black Shark 2 Pro

    205 g

    +28 g versus Mi 8 Explorer

  2. 2. Mi 8 Explorer

    177 g

Screen size

Approximate rectangular screens calculated from recorded diagonal and aspect ratio at one relative scale. Rounded corners and cutouts are not subtracted. These are not phone outlines or calibrated actual sizes.

At least two phones need compatible screen dimensions for a drawing.

  1. 1. Black Shark 2 Pro

    Screen diagonal:
    6.39 in
    Aspect ratio (height:width):
    19.5:9
    Approximate rectangular screen area:
    100.2 cm²
  2. 2. Mi 8 Explorer

    Mi 8 Explorer: Screen geometry unavailable or conflicting.

Memory variants

Each row compares the same storage capacity. Cells show recorded RAM alternatives, not combined maxima. Not recorded does not mean unavailable in every market.

Recorded RAM for Black Shark 2 Pro, Mi 8 Explorer, compared at the same storage capacity.
StorageBlack Shark 2 ProMi 8 Explorer
128 GB Recorded for all phones 8 / 12 GB RAM Alternative RAM configurations 8 GB RAM
256 GB 12 GB RAM Not recorded

Practical features

Explicit Yes and No values are shown directly. Qualified or regional records retain their details. Unknown means the record is missing.

1. Black Shark 2 Pro

NFC:
Unknown
Headphone jack:
No
Memory card support:
No

2. Mi 8 Explorer

NFC:
Yes
Headphone jack:
No
Memory card support:
No

Battery capacity

Capacity is not battery life. No endurance test is implied.

Recorded battery capacity

Bars start at zero and share a scale within this chart.

  1. 1. Black Shark 2 Pro

    4000 mAh

    +1000 mAh versus Mi 8 Explorer

  2. 2. Mi 8 Explorer

    3000 mAh

Specifications

Open a section for more detail. On narrow screens, swipe sideways or use Left/Right arrow keys while the table is focused. Unknown means missing data, not No. Recorded zero values are shown as recorded.

1. Black Shark 2 Pro2. Mi 8 Explorer

Everyday essentials
Everyday essentials — specifications for Black Shark 2 Pro, Mi 8 Explorer.
SpecificationBlack Shark 2 ProMi 8 Explorer
Dimensions (HxWxD)
  • 163.6 Х 75 Х 8.8 mm
  • 154.9 Х 74.8 Х 7.6 mm
Weight
  • 205 g
  • 177 g
Technology
  • AMOLED
  • Super AMOLED
Screen size
  • 6.39" inch
  • 6.21" inch
Screen resolution
  • 1080 x 2340 px
  • 1080 x 2248 px
Internal memory Recorded storage / RAM variants. Entries are alternatives, not a combined maximum. Ambiguous formats stay as recorded.
  • 128GB 8GB RAM
  • 128GB 12GB RAM
  • 256GB 12GB RAM
  • 128 GB
  • 8 GB RAM
Memory card support
  • No
  • No
Battery Capacity is not battery life. No endurance test is implied.
  • 4000 mAh
  • Non-removable Li-Ion
  • 3000 mAh
  • Non-removable Li-Po
Operating system OS
  • Android 9.0 (Pie)
  • Android 8.1 (Oreo)
  • upgradable to Android 9.0 (Pie); MIUI 10.1
Chipset
  • Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855+ (7 nm)
  • Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 (10 nm)
NFC Unknown
  • Yes
Headphone jack
  • No
  • No
Display
Display — specifications for Black Shark 2 Pro, Mi 8 Explorer.
SpecificationBlack Shark 2 ProMi 8 Explorer
Touchscreen
  • capacitive touchscreen
  • capacitive touchscreen
Display colors
  • 16M
  • 16M
Screen area
  • 100.2 cm2
  • 97.1 cm2
Screen format
  • 19.5:9 (height:width)
Unknown
Screen to body ratio
  • 81.7%
  • 83.8%
PPI /points per inch/
  • 403 PPI
  • 0 PPI
Screen protection Unknown
  • Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Camera and Video

Scores marked * are historical catalogue entries. Test conditions are unspecified; no new testing is implied.

Camera and Video — specifications for Black Shark 2 Pro, Mi 8 Explorer.
SpecificationBlack Shark 2 ProMi 8 Explorer
Rear camera, main
  • 48 MP
  • Dual
  • 12 MP
  • Dual
Camera specs
  • 48 MP
  • f/1.8
  • (wide)
  • 1/2''
  • 0.8µm
  • PDAF -12 MP
  • f/2.2
  • (telephoto)
  • 1.0µm
  • PDAF
  • 2x optical zoom
  • 12 MP
  • f/1.8
  • 1/2.55''
  • 1.4µm
  • 4-axis OIS
  • dual pixel PDAF -12 MP
  • f/2.4
  • 1/3.4''
  • 1.0µm
  • AF
  • 2x optical zoom
Functions
  • HDR
  • Dual-LED flash
  • HDR
  • panorama
Video
  • 1080p@30fps
  • 1080p@30fps
Front camera, selfie
  • 20 MP
  • Single
  • 20 MP
  • Single
Specifications
  • 20 MP
  • f/2.0
  • (wide)
  • 1/3"
  • 0.9μm
  • 20 MP
  • f/2.0
  • 0.9μm
DxOMark Main Score *
  • 84
Unknown
DxOMark Photo *
  • 84
Unknown
DxOMark Video *
  • 85
Unknown
Performance

Scores marked * are historical catalogue entries. Test conditions are unspecified; no new testing is implied.

Performance — specifications for Black Shark 2 Pro, Mi 8 Explorer.
SpecificationBlack Shark 2 ProMi 8 Explorer
Processor CPU
  • Octa-core (1x2.96 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.8 GHz Kryo 485)
  • Octa-core (4x2.8 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.8 GHz Kryo 385 Silver)
Graphics processor GPU
  • Adreno 640 (700 MHz)
  • Adreno 630
Antutu 7 score *
  • 379221
Unknown
Antutu 8 score *
  • 403242
Unknown
General specs
General specs — specifications for Black Shark 2 Pro, Mi 8 Explorer.
SpecificationBlack Shark 2 ProMi 8 Explorer
Release date
  • 2019
  • July
  • 2018
  • May
Colors
  • Shadow Black
  • Iceberg Grey
  • Gulf Blue
  • Streamer Purple
  • Black (transparent back)
Historical recorded price Legacy catalogue value; date unknown. Not a current offer.
  • 550 EUR
  • 500 EUR
Body build
  • Front glass
  • aluminum body
  • Front/back glass
  • aluminum frame (7000 series)
Communication and Connectivity
Communication and Connectivity — specifications for Black Shark 2 Pro, Mi 8 Explorer.
SpecificationBlack Shark 2 ProMi 8 Explorer
SIM card
  • Dual SIM (Nano-SIM
  • dual stand-by)
  • Dual SIM (Nano-SIM
  • dual stand-by)
Network
  • Show all network frequencies: -2G - GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 CDMA 800 & TD-SCDMA -3G - HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO -4G - LTE band 1(2100)
  • 3(1800)
  • 4(1700/2100)
  • 5(850)
  • 7(2600)
  • 8(900)
  • 34(2000)
  • 38(2600)
  • 39(1900)
  • 40(2300)
  • 41(2500)
  • Show all network frequencies: -2G - GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 CDMA 800 & TD-SCDMA -3G - HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 -4G - LTE band 1(2100)
  • 2(1900)
  • 3(1800)
  • 4(1700/2100)
  • 5(850)
  • 7(2600)
  • 8(900)
  • 12(700)
  • 17(700)
  • 20(800)
  • 34(2000)
  • 38(2600)
  • 39(1900)
  • 40(2300)
  • 41(2500)
Speed
  • HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps
  • LTE-A (5CA) Cat18 1200/150 Mbps
  • HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps
  • LTE-A (4CA) Cat16 1024/150 Mbps
GPRS
  • Yes
  • Yes
Edge
  • Yes
  • Yes
Wi-Fi
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
  • dual-band
  • Wi-Fi Direct
  • hotspot
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
  • dual-band
  • Wi-Fi Direct
  • DLNA
  • hotspot
GPS
  • Yes
  • with A-GPS
  • GLONASS
  • GALILEO
  • QZSS
  • BDS
  • Yes
  • with dual-band A-GPS
  • GLONASS
  • BDS
  • GALILEO
  • QZSS
USB
  • 2.0
  • Type-C 1.0 reversible connector
  • Type-C 1.0 reversible connector
Bluetooth
  • 5.0
  • A2DP
  • aptX HD
  • LE
  • 5.0
  • A2DP
  • LE
  • aptX HD
Music and Audio
Music and Audio — specifications for Black Shark 2 Pro, Mi 8 Explorer.
SpecificationBlack Shark 2 ProMi 8 Explorer
Radio
  • No
  • No
Others
  • DCI-P3 109% -Always-on display -240Hz touch-sensing
  • Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
  • HDR10 -DCI-P3
  • Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
Other features
Other features — specifications for Black Shark 2 Pro, Mi 8 Explorer.
SpecificationBlack Shark 2 ProMi 8 Explorer
Dop
  • Sensors Fingerprint (under display)
  • accelerometer
  • gyro
  • proximity
  • compass - Fast battery charging 27W
  • Sensors Face ID
  • fingerprint (under display)
  • accelerometer
  • gyro
  • proximity
  • barometer
  • compass - Fast battery charging (Quick Charge 4.0+) - For China